Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/tag/catch-of-the-day/page/77/)
Recently proposed increases to Michigan’s hunting and fishing fees could disproportionately hurts seniors, one legislator said, even for some who haven’t hunted or fished for years.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s WaterNow service can send users up-to-date water information via text or e-mail. Users can visit the service’s mapper and find a gauge located in their area. From there, they send that gauge’s site number to the service by text or e-mail and the service responds with up-to-date data within minutes.
Illinois has the highest percentage of facilities with air quality violations in 2012 among the Great Lakes states, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Minnesota has the lowest. The figures come from an EPA map that reports state compliance with regulations. The map’s dashboard allows users to choose different measures and different years. Here are the percentages of major facilities with air quality violations for each state:
Illinois: 68 percent of 486 major facilities.
The life and people of Lake Michigan is the subject of a gallery showing through May 19 at the Haggerty Museum of Art at Milwaukee’s Marquette University. Perimeter, a project of Kevin J. Miyazki, depicts 277 portraits of Lake Michigan’s unique individuals. To see some of the profiles, click here and scroll right. The project is aimed at “capturing a contemporary portrait of the lake by photographing people whose lives are closest to it,” according to Miyazaki’s website. Portraits feature scientists, fishermen, artists, community leaders, surfers, songwriters and many others.
Michigan has always been a good place to grow potatoes, and the traditional crop is expanding.The latest target may be the Northeastern Lower Peninsula, where suitable soil is available.
A mobile app developed in Kenya and aimed at tackling water problems there could have applications elsewhere, including the water-rich Great Lakes region. The app, MajiRipoti, recently won the 2012 Nokia DoGood Hackathon competition. It allows users to report water theft and water and sewer pipe leakages to Kenya’s Water Service Providers. Its developer believes that similar citizen-based technologies will be useful in tackling water availability problems in other areas of the world, as well. “What prompted us to work on the application was the frequent water shortages we are experiencing in Kenya, as well as the major problem of burst water and sewer pipes,” said Douglas Injugu, head of operations at the Synacor Consortium, the company that developed the app.
As the price of copper rises, thieves turn to farm irrigation systems. Irrigation systems have appealed to thieves for some time, authorities say. They’re often unprotected, in remote areas surrounded by few houses.
The Great Lakes’ record-low water levels are rightly receiving all of the attention now, but evidence is growing that Michigan’s fragile groundwater resources are quietly becoming a concern for the future. Robert Glennon, professor of law and public policy at the University of Arizona and author of “Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What to do About It,” knows Michigan well and shares his insights. Echo has reported on the consequences of drought on Great Lakes groundwater – which can also be seen on this map – and the challenge of measuring its effects. The need for better groundwater conservation continues to be a widely overlooked issue facing the Basin.
Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart) reports from Bay City, Michigan’s Delta College Q-90.1 FM.
This week Kart discusses renewable energy investments and the trash count from the Adopt-a-Beach Great Lakes cleanup program. Text at Mr Great Lakes
